Portable electric light



'F. RAMPP, PORTABLE Egecmlc LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-25, I918- Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

3 vwcM coz application filed January 25, 1918.

ii /tom. it may concern: l e it known that i nav nrr, a citizen. of the linited Stat cs residing in the borough of Bronx. county of Bronx, and lltate of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Portable 'ic Lights, of which the following is specification, reference being had therein o the acconnpanying drawings,forming thereof.

invention relates to self-containcd or battery-operated portable electric lights, and relates more particularly to such a light adapted to be conveniently carried about upon the person and provided with means such as a clip or hook for releasably con necting the light with some part of the apparel. such a hook-forming clip being combined with means for controlling the circuit of the battery through the lamp. Objects of my invention are to provide a light of the kind mentioned which is simple in construction. inexpensive of manufacture, durable. dependable, and which is particularly adapted to meet the requirements of soldiers as well as also conveniently usable by everyone. Other more particular objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter a p pea 1'.

My invention includes a'novel arrangement or combination of circuit-controlling means and means for supporting the light, and includes more particularly a novel arrangement or combination of a circuit-controlling slide and a l'iook-forming clip carried thereby for releasably connecting the light with a part of the apparel of the person carrying the light, such hook or clip being more particularly adapted for engaging the belt of a soldier-or other person, but also being adapted to support the light in other ways.'as will hereinafter appear. My invention further includes features of construction and combinations of parts, as will appear from the following description.

I shall now describe the portable electric light illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodying, my invention and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims Figure 1 is an elevation of a portable electric. light embodying my invention, shown in theposition in which it is adapted to be carried. with the circuit in the open condition.

fllf f lCiEi or. time.

is a side elevation of viewed from the left in 1.

191g. 3 is a central longitudinal section, with parts in elevation. on a vertical plane indicated. by the line fll of Fig. 1 as viewed from the left.

l ig. elis a similar view with .in the closed condition.

Fig. 5 is an end view as seen from below in Fin. 1.

1.1g. o section of the casing on a vertical plane indicated by the line (3 6 of Fig. 53 as viewed from the left. I

Fig. 7 is aside or edge elevation of the c1rcuit-controllingslide and the hoolcforniing spring clip carried thereby and shown as formed in one ecc therewith.

Fig. 8 is a partial transverse section on a. horizontal plane indicated by the line 8 8 of 1 and 3 as viewed from below in Fig. 1.

The most distinctive feature of my present invention is a resilient clip or supporting book 1 which, is combined with and projecls from the rear end of an elongated circuit-controlling slide 2 alongside thereof and in overlapping relation thereto.

the same as the circuit The hoolcforming spring clip 1 at its upper or rear end is shown as forming a continuation of the circuit-controlling slide 2, and is shown as spaced therefrom and as joined thereto by a circulatory curved intermediate connecting part 3. Thcslide 2 is of greater length than the spring clip 1 so that the slide 2 projects forwardly or downwardly beyond the clip 1. From the curved intermediate spacing part 3 the clip 1 is shown as straight and as extending at an inclination down ard and inward. and at its lower free end the clip 1 is disposed in proximity to and is shown as normally in contact with the adjacent outer surface of the elongated slide 2. and this free end of the clip 1 is provided witi a circularly rounded head or terminal part 4. as clearly appears in the drawings. The spring clip 1 and the -circuit-controlling slide 2 in the construction shown in the drawings are formed of a single bent strip of suitable spring metal such as brass. Tn the construction illustrated in the drawings, the circuitcontrolling slide 2 is shown as arranged longitudinally of a metallic casing tube 5 is a partial central longitudinal the end of the slide 2,

' circuit-closing tubular rivet or'eyelct 12.

which forms the main part of a batterycontaining and lamp-carrying casing, and the slide 2 is secured to and mounted upon the tubular casing part 5 by means of a pair of eyelets or tubular rivets (3 which pass through end parts of the slide 2 and also through longitudinal slots 7 in the tubular casing part fi whereb y the slide 2' may have longitudinal sliding circuit-controlling movement upon the tubular casing part 5, will hereinafter appear. The elongated slide 2 is of slightly curved cross section, as most clearly appears in l ig. 8 of the drawings, for thereby conforming to the curvature of and closely fitting against the outer cylindrically curved surface of. the casing tube 5.

At its lower or forward end the circuitcontrolling slide Z is provided with an outwardly indented end part 8 forming a short inner longitudinal groove or recess and a corresponding rounded outer projection at as clearly appears in the drawings. fin outwardly rounded spring-pressed push button 9 projects from the inner to the outer side of the metallic tubular casing part 5. through a round hole 10 therein, and projects just below and just at the forward outwardly indented end 8 of the slide 2, so that the push button 9 may be directly manually operated by pressures thereupon, and also so that when the slide 2 is pushed 01 1 d its outwardly indented end 8 will "c with the out *ardly pro- "*ig rounded push button 9 and will, as Y readily uderstood, exert a cam action upon and. v1 til override the push button 9, and will force this push button inward from its 1 )i'oje ing open-circuit position appearin in l 1, 2 and. 3, to the depressed position thereoi appearing in The rounded outwardly projecting 9 is carried byva spring metal strip 11 near the forward end thereof and which at its rear end-is firmly secured to the inside of the casing tube 5 by means of a in its middle 11 is provided with a longipush button part, this spring tudinal slot 13 for the reception of the outer or lower of the tubular rivets or eyelets 6 carried by the slide 2, and the spring 11 has an inwardly offset contact-making free end 1 1 which projects forwardly beyond the push button 9, as appears in thc drawings. spring 11 togeth r "with the push button 9 carried thereby forms an automatically returning circuit-controlling member. i LS a matter of manufacturing convenience in riveting in place the upper slide-securing eyelet (3, the adjacent outwardly spaced straight part ofthe sheet metal strip which forms the resilient clip 1 is shown as pro vided with an opening 15 for the insertion through this hole 15 of a suitable tool into This engagement with the upper slide-securing eyelet 6.

The remaining parts of therportable electric light illustrated in the drawings as embodying my invention are substantially of a usual construction as heretofore made without my present invention, and. will now be described sufficiently for the clear and com plete understamling of my present invention. in its inner cll'Cl'l'lll-(filOSlng position, appearing in Fig. 4; of the drawings, the inwardly oflset end 1% of tllGCOKltzlCt spring 11 is in engagement or circuit-closing contact with the periphery or outer edge of a metallic circuit-completing contact disk 16 which is held in place uponand supported by a metallic reflector 17' by means of an inwardly and outwardly flanged metallic screwthreaded lamp socket 18, the contact dish 16 and lamp socket ,18, however, being trically insulated from the metallic reflector 17 by means of interposed insulation, shown as an insulating disk 19 and an insulating ring or washer 20. This above described construction for electrically insulating the metallic contact dish 16 and metallic lamp socket 18 from the metallic reflector 17 is disclosed in and forms the subject oi? the patent to Conrad Hubert, No. 1,157,395, of Uctober 19, 1915, for portable electric light.

At its outer end the metallic reflector 17 is shown as provided with a slight outturned flange which rests upon a corresponding slight inturned flange formed on the adjacent end of the metallic casing tube the metallic reflector 17 thereby being in clec .trical connection with the casing tube The reflector 17 is held in place upon the casing tube 5 by means of an end glass, shown as a usual lens 21, and this lens :21

is held in place by means of a usual end ring screwed over the outer end of the casing tube 5, as clearly appears in the drawings. The inner end, which in the position of the light appearing in the drawings is the upper end, oi the metallic casing tube 5 i closed by means of a usual end cap 23 screwed thereon, and within this end cap 23 and carried thereby is a usual battery-engaging and circuit-completing tapered coiled thrust spring 2st. The free inner end of the spring 2t engages the cup or zinc terminal of a usual dry battery having an'outer paper insulating tube 26, and the central carbon terminal 27 of the battery in contact or in engagement with the central terminal 523 of a usual minature incamlescent amp, the usual terminal-forming base of which is screwed into the lamp socket 1 fl and the bulb 30 of which is outwardly exposed within the reflector 17, as ClQfil appe in the drawings. ll hile in the constru on illustrated in the drawings, my invention is shown embodied in a portable electric light of a form or type and shown as a snlistantiall usual metallic casing hav. tube a, it is to be clearly understood that my invention n no sense restricted to either ton against accidental inward circuit-closing movement which otherwise might possibly talce place by reason ot pressure upon the push button of some exterior object, such as a part of tha apparel ot' the nerson carrying the light,a11d in this connection it is iurther to be noted that the slightly enlarged serew-threaded end of the casing tube 5 and the lens-holding end ring provide also substantial assistance. in preventing any such accidental pushing in of the push button 9, as will be readily understood. llowcver. the push button 9 may be readily manually depressed for closing the circuit for short periods of lighting. and more conveniently for longer periods of lighting the slide 2 may be moved longitudinally from its open-circuit positioin appearing in Figs. 1, 3 and (3, to the circuitclosing position thereot illustrated in Fig. l. in thus operating the clip-carrying ci r cuit-controlling slide 2 it has been found that sliding movement. either for eli'ecting the closed circuit or the open circuit condition, may be most convmiiently eliected by pressing with the thumb against the outwardly rounded projecting free end part -11 of the resilient clip 1.

The portable electric light embodying my invention may be most conveniently carried about by engaging the hook-forming spring clip 1 oveigthe edge of a part of the apparel of the person carrying the light, so that,

such part of apparel will be received between the'resilient clip 1 and the longitudinally extended circuit-controlling slide 2 alongside thereof and upon which the clip 1 is overlapped, and whereby the light will then be supported by the spring clip 1 and eircuit-cmitrolling slide 2, the curved part 3 forming a shoulder which will engage with or' rest upon the upper tree edge of the part of the, apparelupon which the light is supported. Tl adapted vtor thus engaging the usual belt which is commonly worn, and particularly the usual service belt of a soldier, although ie spring clip 1 is particularly graged with rhe bolt. this spring clip passes to the inner side of the belt, while the body oi" the light inchiding the casing part 5 hangs at the outside ready to be conveniently grasped tor instant use. .lt is obvious of course that the spring clip 1 may also engage some otherpa-rt ot the apparel, tor e2 ample, over the edge. of a pocket, either at the inside or at the outside thereof. it is to be noted that the rounded lower or outer end l of the spring clip 1 besides serving as a convenient meanstl'or moving the circuitcontrolling slide 2, as hereinbe'lore noted, also serves to permit the easy engagement of the lower end of the spring clip 1 in pass ing over the upper edge of the belt or pocket or other part of the apparel. nertion it is to be noted as of importance that when the light is thus supported upon the apparel its weight is suspended from the cireuit-eontrolling slide and this weight \aill strongly tend to hold this slide at the open-circuit position. thereby ellcctively preventing its accidental movement to the closed-circuit position. as will be readily understood. light has been used and while the circuit is still closed, the light may be instantly re turned to its position oi ei'igagement with the belt or other part of the apparel. without first taking the trouble to move the slide to its open-circuit position, the downward pull upon the casing part 5 in eilecting engagen'ient of the clip 1, and particularly when the upper edge of tl e apparel part comes into contact with the shoulder-torming part will cause the movement of the eireilit-controlling slide 2 from the lower closed-circuit position thereof appearing in Fig. 4 to the upper open-circuit position thereof appearing in Figs. 1. 2, 3 and G. In this operation the body of the light including the casing tube 5 moves downward, while the clip-carrying circuit-controlling slide 2 is held stationary by reason o'l" its engagementwith the apparel, as will bs readily understood. Also, as a further advantage, it may be noted that the light may be conveniently hung up on a nail or other pro jection by means of the loop formed by the curved upper part 3 between the clip 1 and slide Qjand may be thus suspended either in an unlighted or in a lighted condition. it be ing, noted in this connection that in this 1)0 3 sition the weight oi? the device is insufficient to overcome the triction of the slide 2, more particularly the friction of its lower end 8 with the spring-pressed push button 9. Bosides the several advantages of use and operation above noted. it is to be further noted that the making of the supporting clip 1 and the slide 2 from a single continuous In this conis a matter ol fact, after the hook projecting alongside of strip of sheet metal greatly reduces the em .pense oi manufacture, in addition to providing a superior construction as above noted.

it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A portable electric light-comprising a battery-containing and lamp-carrying casing, and means for controlling the circuit ot the battery through the lamp inchiding a circnit-controlling slide mounted on the casing for sliding cirruit-controlling move ment and provided with a clip forming a the slide and adapted to receive between itself and the slide a part of the apparel of the person carrying the light for thereby supporting the light and in which the hook-forming clip is of less length than the slide and has a tree rounded end disposed in proximity to the slide and beyond which the slide projects.

2. it portable electric light comprising a battery-containing and lamp-carrying casing and means for controlling the circuit of the battery through the lamp including a circuit-controllii'ig slide mounted on the easmg tor sliding circuit-controlling movement and provided with a clip forming ahook pro ecting alongside of the slide and toward the direction in which the slide moves to a close the circuitand adapted to receive between itself and the slide part of the apparel of the person carrying the light, and in Which the hook-formmg clip is of less length than the slide and has a tree rounded end dlsposed in proximity to the slide and beyond which the slide projects.

3. A portable electric hght comprising an elongated-casing adapted to carrya lamp at one end thereof and to contain a battery for the lamp, means tor controlling the circuit.

of the battery through the lamp including a circuit-controlling slide mounted on the cats mg for sliding circuit-controlling movement longitudinally oi the casing and arrangedto move toward the lamp-carrying end of the casing for closing the circuit, and a clip carried by theslide and forming a hoolr projecting therefrom alongside of the slide and projecting toward the lamp-carrying end of the casing, such hoolr being adaptedto releasably engage between itself and the slide a part of the apparel for thereby supporting the light and maintaining the slide at the open-circuit position and also whereby the 1 engagement of the light with the apparel will. tend to move the slide from the closedcircuit position to the open-c1rcu1t position, and in which the hook-tolg clip is of less length than the slide has tree rounded end disposed in proximity to the slide and beyond which the slide pro ects.

a. The invention claimed in claim 1 in.

which a spring-presse :l circuit-controlling push button is disposed in the path of the projecting end of the slide so as to be operated thereby and also adapted to be independently manually operated.

5. A portable electric light comprising a battery-containing and lamp-carrying casing, and means for controlling the circuit ot the battery through the lamp including a circuit-controlling slide mounted on the casing for sliding circuit-controlling movement and provided with aclip forming a hoolr projecting alongside of the slide and adapted to receive between itself and the slide a part of the apparel oi the person carrying the light for thereby supporting the light, and in which the circuit-controlling means includes a manually operable push button which is also adapted and arranged to be operated by the slide.

6. A portable electric light comprising an elongated battery-containing and lampcarrying casing, a circuit-controlling slide mounted on the casing for sliding circuit-controlling movement longitudinally thereof, an automatically returning circuitcontrolling member adapted to be manually operated in its circuit-controlling movement independently of the sliding circuitcontrolling movement of the slide, and means carried by th slide for supporting the light.

"4'. A combined circuit-controlling and sup poi ting device for such device comprising a single strip 01 bent material forming a circuit-controlling slide and a supporting hoolr overlapped upon the slide.

8. The invention claimed in claim 7 in which the slide projects beyond the free end 01: the hoolr.

9. The invention claimed in claim 8 in combination with a circuit-controlling push button with which the projecting end of the slide cooperates.

10. The invention claimed in claim 9 in which the projecting end of the slide is provided with a recess for receiving the outer end of the push button. i

11. A. combined circuit-controlling and supporting device for a portable electric a portable electric light.

light, such device comprising a circuit-conslide and a resilient supporting trolling hook carried by and extending alongside of the slide, iucombination with an automatically returning circuit-controlling member adapted to be operated by the slide and also adapted to be independently manually operated.

in testimony whereof have aflixed my signature to this specification.

F. RANK 1 

